Beyond Individualism: Stanley Grenz’s Contribution to Baptist Theology

Abstract

Stanley Grenz described himself as a Baptist and an evangelical. This essay
explores the first of these labels, and the extent to which Grenz’s Baptist
heritage impacted the way in which he understood the theological task.
After briefly outlining Grenz’s theological method and his interaction with
both Baptist and evangelical communities, it highlights the particular issues
which Grenz’s theological method raises for Baptist theologians. Noting the
desire expressed in documents such as the Baptist Manifesto (1997) for
Baptists to transcend the individualism often associated with the
movement, it explores the potential within Grenz’s theological method to
move Baptists towards a genuinely communal vision for their ecclesial life
and practice.